The DAISY Foundation was established a decade ago by the family of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at the age of 33 from complications associated with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (a disease that attacks the immune system, thus the DAISY acronym). One year later, the Foundation created The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, which has come to be regarded nationally as one of the profession’s greatest honors. Richland began presenting DAISY Awards in October 2009 and, last July, Baptist presented its first DAISY to 25-year-old Lyndsey Hughes, who came to Palmetto Health straight out of Jones County Junior College in Mississippi just four months earlier. This is her story.
At the age of 13, Lyndsey was diagnosed with spina bifida, a birth defect affecting the vertebrae and spinal cord. “I was in and out of hospitals a lot as a teenager,” she says. “That’s when I decided I wanted to do something in the medical field.” The North Augusta native admits she was influenced as much by her bad hospital experiences as by the good. “I think I’m able to use all the time I spent as a patient to make me a better nurse. I know what it’s like to be in pain, to feel vulnerable and afraid. I’ve been there.”
The patient on Baptist’s 8th Medical who nominated Lyndsey for the DAISY Award wrote: “She was very courteous, friendly, caring and just about the best nurse I’ve ever had. This is my fifth hospital stay this year. Even when her day was not good, she greeted me with a smile, a genuine caring smile, whether she was busy or not. If I needed someone to talk to for just a moment, she was there. I cannot tell you how that makes you feel. She is a treasure that you need to keep."
Lyndsey says no one was more shocked than she was when they announced her as the hospital’s very first DAISY recipient. “I was completely surprised and honored,” she says. “I like to think it’s because of my commitment to one-on-one time with my patients. I think it’s important, when possible, to create a bond, to build that trust. It means a lot to me that a patient took the time to recognize me for something so important.”
But don’t assume winning such recognition so early in her career has gone to Lyndsey’s head. She knows she has a lot to learn. “I work with so many great nurses, mentors like Ellie Cruz and Libby Hart.” Lyndsey says she loves that her unit functions so much like a family, and, believe it or not, she even loves working from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. “Oh, I started out on days, but I couldn’t stand getting up at 5 a.m.”
She says she plans to go as far as she can in healthcare. “I can’t really see myself being a floor nurse all my life, because of my back problems. So, I’m thinking I might eventually get into teaching nursing.” And what will be the most important lesson she teaches? “To always remember your patients are people with feelings and worries. To not get so busy that you forget what they’re going through.”
P.S. Aside from an aunt who practices physical therapy, Lyndsey is the only member of her family in healthcare. But she’s not the first member of her family to work for Palmetto Health. Her mom Joan Hughes is a Managed Care representative for the Fiscal Affairs team at Greystone.